US-20260125976-A1 - DESANDER FOR A DOWNHOLE ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A desander for a downhole assembly according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure includes a body that defines an axis; a support within the body; a sand downpipe within the body that extends from a sand downpipe inlet to a sand downpipe exit displaced from the sand downpipe inlet, the sand downpipe mounted to the support; and a solid-free intake to receive solid-free fluid from an upper body chamber.

Inventors

• Jordan Binstock

Assignees

• Jordan Binstock

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20250606

Claims (16)

1. 1 . A desander for a downhole assembly comprising: a body that defines an axis; a support within the body; a sand downpipe within the body that extends from a sand downpipe inlet to a sand downpipe exit displaced from the sand downpipe inlet, the sand downpipe mounted to the support; and a solid-free intake to receive solid-free fluid from an upper body chamber.
2. 2 . The desander as recited in claim 1 , wherein the solid-free intake is connected to a dip tube.
3. 3 . The desander as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sand downpipe is parallel to the axis.
4. 4 . The desander as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a multiple of sand downpipes, each parallel to the axis.
5. 5 . The desander as recited in claim 1 , wherein the desander is connected to a gas separator.
6. 6 . The desander as recited in claim 4 , wherein the multiple of sand downpipes surround the solid-free intake within the support.
7. 7 . The desander as recited in claim 4 , further comprising a sand collector below the sand downpipe exit with respect to the support.
8. 8 . The desander as recited in claim 7 , wherein the sand collector is frustoconical in shape.
9. 9 . A method of removing sand from a fluid stream for a downhole assembly, comprising: receiving solid-laden fluid through one or more sand downpipes toward a bottom section discharge area separated by a vertical distance from a solid-free intake; and receiving solid-free fluid from an upper body chamber through the solid-free intake.
10. 10 . The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the sand downpipes are mounted in a support with the solid-free intake.
11. 11 . The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the heavier sand particles from the one or more sand downpipes drop to a sand collector at the bottom section of a desander.
12. 12 . The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the solid-free intake is along an axis and the one or more sand downpipes are parallel to the axis.
13. 13 . The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the solid-free intake is connected via a dip tube to a pump seating nipple or other pump intake section of the downhole assembly.
14. 14 . The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein receiving the solid-laden fluid through one or more sand downpipes comprises receiving the solid-laden fluid without helix separation.
15. 15 . The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein receiving the solid-laden fluid through one or more sand downpipes comprises receiving the solid-laden fluid without vortex separation.
16. 16 . The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the sand downpipes are mounted in a support with the solid-free intake within a body, a length and a volume of a body related to a fluid production rate.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[S] None BACKGROUND The present disclosure relates to oil and gas wells, and more specifically to apparatus and methods for removing sand and other solid particles from multiphase fluid streams of a downhole assembly. Production from wells in the oil and gas industry often contains sand. The sand could be part of the formation from which the hydrocarbon is being produced, introduced from hydraulic fracturing, fluid loss material from drilling mud or fracturing fluids, or from a phase change of produced hydrocarbons caused by changing conditions at the wellbore. Oil wells are often equipped with a desander to remove sand from the fluid stream. The desander designs are often complicated and sand separation has primarily relied on helixes near the fluid intake to spin the solid-laden fluid and create separation of the heavier sand particles. The sand separation efficiency is thereby heavily dependent on fluid rates and velocity through the separation helix. Another issue may be that separation is so close to the fluid intake that a portion of the sand may still be drawn into the intake and, perhaps destructively, into the pump. SUMMARY A desander for a downhole assembly according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure includes a body that defines an axis; a support within the body; a sand downpipe within the body that extends from a sand downpipe inlet to a sand downpipe exit displaced from the sand downpipe inlet, the sand downpipe mounted to the support; and a solid-free intake to receive solid-free fluid from an upper body chamber. A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes that the solid-free intake is connected to a downhole pump intake section. A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes that the sand downpipe is parallel to the axis. A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes a multiple of sand downpipes, each parallel to the axis. A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes that the multiple of sand downpipes surround the solid-free intake within the support. A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes that a sand collector below the sand downpipe exit with respect to the support. A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes that the sand collector is frustoconical in shape. A method of removing sand from a fluid stream for a downhole assembly, according to one disclosed non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure includes receiving solid-laden fluid through one or more sand downpipes toward a bottom section discharge area separated by a vertical distance from a solid-free intake; and receiving solid-free fluid from an upper body chamber through the solid-free intake. A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes that the sand downpipes are mounted in a support with the solid-free intake. A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes that the heavier sand particles from the one or more sand downpipes drop to a sand collector at the bottom section of a desander. A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes that the solid-free intake is along an axis and the one or more sand downpipes are parallel to the axis. A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes that the solid-free intake is connected via a dip tube to a pump seating nipple or other pump intake section of the downhole assembly. A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes receiving the solid-laden fluid through one or more sand downpipes, without helix separation. A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes receiving the solid-laden fluid through one or more sand downpipes, without vortex separation. A further embodiment of any of the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure includes that the sand downpipes are mounted in a support with the solid-free intake within a body, a length and volume of a body related to a fluid production rate. The foregoing features and elements may be combined in various combinations without exclusivity, unless expressly indicated otherwise. These features and elements as well as the operation thereof will become more apparent in light of the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be appreciated that however the following description and drawings are intended to be exemplary in nature and non-limiting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Various features will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the disclosed